Former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin convicted

JerryA. DiColo

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin arrives at court in New Orleans in this file photo taken February 20, 2013.

NEW ORLEANS—Former Mayor Ray Nagin was convicted Wednesday of bribery and related charges, capping a widespread federal investigation into public corruption in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

A jury found Nagin guilty of 20 of 21 counts, making him the city’s first mayor to be convicted of corruption charges. Seven city contractors and officials have been convicted or pleaded guilty to related crimes.

Atlanta traffic cameras show virtual ghost town

(0:54)

Footage of normally busy streets in the city of Sandy Springs, outside Atlanta, on Wednesday morning depict a mostly barren landscape as icy rain and snow fell on most of Georgia.

Nagin, who wore a dark suit with a yellow tie, sat stoically as the verdict was read. Later, when asked if he planned to appeal, defense attorney Robert Jenkins said, “Of course.”

The case grew out of a probe of city contractors and Nagin’s administration that began shortly after the 2005 hurricane caused billions of dollars in damage and left 80% of the city under water. Nagin’s case wasn’t directly tied to Katrina funding, but the massive rebuilding effort served as a backdrop as prosecutors detailed alleged kickbacks to Nagin from vendors and other associates.

“He was using the power and authority of his office as leverage on city business to exact payoffs,” Assistant U.S. attorney Richard Pickens said during closing arguments Monday. “He defrauded the citizens of New Orleans.”

The verdict marks a substantial fall for Nagin, a former cable executive who first won office in 2002. Initially popular throughout the city, the Democrat stepped onto the national stage as the public face of the city amid Katrina’s devastation.

Intraday Data provided by SIX Financial Information and subject to terms of use.
Historical and current end-of-day data provided by SIX Financial Information. Intraday data
delayed per exchange requirements. S&P/Dow Jones Indices (SM) from Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
All quotes are in local exchange time. Real time last sale data provided by NASDAQ. More
information on NASDAQ traded symbols and their current financial status. Intraday
data delayed 15 minutes for Nasdaq, and 20 minutes for other exchanges. S&P/Dow Jones Indices (SM)
from Dow Jones & Company, Inc. SEHK intraday data is provided by SIX Financial Information and is
at least 60-minutes delayed. All quotes are in local exchange time.